Stand By You
by Reetinkerbell
Summary: Lucius and his relationship with Draco through the years, from infancy to parenthood as Draco matures. DracoxHermione, written for luciusbigbang.
1. Part One

**Title**: Stand By You  
><strong>Fandom<strong>: Harry Potter  
><strong>Characters<strong>: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Lucius and his relationship with Draco through the years, from infancy to parenthood as Draco matures.  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 11 201 (Part I: 6 292, Part II: 4 909)  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: AU Post-_Goblet of Fire_.  
><strong>Author's<strong> **Note**: Thanks to my beta, **shagmedraco** for everything.  
><strong>Distribution<strong>: Link only please.  
><strong>Written<strong>: 2011 – For the Second Round of **luciusbigbang **(at LiveJournal).

**Stand By You** (1/2)

**Zero**  
>Lucius missed Draco's birth. Not even the coming of the next heir to one of the oldest and most powerful pureblooded families was enough to warrant Lucius missing a raid according to the Dark Lord - not even though there had been nothing about this raid in particular to differentiate it from the many other raids Lucius had already joined that week, not to mention the many he'd done under the month leading up to the birth; a time when Narcissa had needed him the most.<p>

While Lucius wouldn't have been in the room with his wife as she gave birth to the child, he'd wanted to be there for her; in case something went wrong and to kiss her after the fact and tell her how proud of her he was. He wanted to be there, to hold Draco when the boy opened his eyes for the first time, be the first person his son saw; even if the child was far too young to realise what or who he was seeing.

And, more than anything, Lucius wanted the first thing Draco heard to be that he was very much loved.

As it was, such sentiments and desires were not something Lucius wanted to be known by his associates, and because of that, Draco was several hours old the first time Lucius laid eyes on him.

The moon was high in the sky, providing the light that lead Lucius into the room where Draco slept, peacefully in the Malfoy crib next to the bed that housed a sound asleep Narcissa. His blond fluff of hair was bright in the light streaming in through the uncovered windows.

Lucius smiled down at the boy as his nose scrunched up, and with a careful touch he caressed his son's chubby cheek, a soft smile plying on his face as Draco turned into his hand with a small noise of contentment.

"I love you," Lucius whispered into the crib, reaching down.

A searing pain shot through his arm and he hissed, drawing back and away from his sleeping son as his mark burned. Cursing low, Lucius cast a glance at Narcissa before he touched Draco one last time; then, he turned and left the room behind.

When the Dark Lord called, you obeyed.

**One  
><strong>It was the night before Christmas and the house was dark and quiet. When Lucius stepped into their room, Narcissa sat in front of the lit fire, staring into the flames with a vacant expression and a cup of forgotten tea by her side.

"Love?" he asked gently, not wanting to scare her by his unexpected entrance. "What are you still doing up?"

Narcissa turned to him, her eyes red rimmed. "Shouldn't I be asking you what you are doing home so late?"

Lucius closed the bedroom door behind him and walked up to her, settling himself down on the couch beside her. She took his hand as he sat and he squeezed it tightly. "How's the boy?" he asked instead of answering her, knowing it'd been a rhetorical question.

"Draco is fine," Narcissa smiled sadly. "He made a real fuss about having to take a bath, but once he got into the water he didn't want to get out again; as usual."

Lucius smiled. "I'm sorry I missed it."

Narcissa made a non-committal sound before they lapsed into silence. But only for a moment. "How did it go?"

Lucius turned to her and sighed. "Not so good." He watched as Narcissa closed her eyes and turned her face away from his, her grip on his hand tightening at his words. "No amount of money is going to get her out, I'm sorry."

"Did you try to-" she started, her voice sad and broken.

"Yes," Lucius interrupted. "But he can't help us again, not when he's already under pressure because _I_ am not in Azkaban too."

"I don't want to think about that; that you so easily might've been there, and I would've lost you too." She leaned her head against his shoulder, turning her face into his neck as tears slid down her cheeks.

Lucius wrapped his arms around her, shushing her gently. "But I wasn't there. I'm fine, I'm here."

"But you always weren't! If you'd been there _that_ night- I don't want to think of it. And the way people have been after us. What happens if-" she broke down in sobs against him, unable to finish.

"Narcissa, please, stop worrying. I'm not going to end up in Azkaban."

"That's what Bella thought too, and look at what happened to her."

Lucius simply held her closer and tightly, not saying a word about how insane Bellatrix was, and how he hadn't been surprised at her incarceration. And although he had tried, for the sake of his wife, to get her out of Azkaban, the fact that his usual contacts couldn't - _or__ wouldn't_ - help him out, the way they had when he'd been under pressure from the Ministry regarding his, thankfully, _suspected_ Death Eater activity hadn't been a surprise to him at all.

Having already lost one of her beloved sisters, Narcissa simply didn't want to see it, or admit that Bellatrix deserved to be put away; to her, her being gone simply meant that she'd lost someone else she loved.

The crack of an Apparating house-elf sounded, and Narcissa discreetly wiped at her cheeks while Lucius studied the creature as it nervously entwined its hands, head bowed.

"Dobby is sorry, Master, but the young Master is crying and Hattie is not knowing what to do."

Lucius nodded and sent the elf away with a wave of a hand. As soon as the crack of its Disapparating sounded, Lucius turned to his wife, who was still trying to compose herself. "Do you want me to go?"

"No, no, I'll go." She stood. "He's probably crying after me anyway."

Lucius frowned as she walked out of their room; though her voice hadn't hinted at any discontent, the words she'd spoken and the way her voice had been devoid of _any_ feeling made him suspect she might be more unhappy with him than she'd let on earlier; either due to his inability at getting Bellatrix out of prison, or due to his distance from the family. Though the former could not be helped, and the latter was a natural result of his following the Dark Lord's bidding and the consequences that brought with his involvement in the Ministry and their demands on him now, though she said she'd understood Lucius suspected she'd in fact grown much tired of it.

He stood and followed her into their son's nursery, located just across the hall from the Master Suite. The sight that greeted him warmed his heart, as much as it pained him to see his young son so upset; Narcissa sat in the rocking chair that'd belonged in her family for generations, cradling a sobbing Draco in her arms as she rocked back and forth, caressing his hair and back to calm him down.

Lucius couldn't hear the words she spoke, but the gentle hum that escaped her moving lips seemed to calm the boy, as his sobs soon turned into sniffles and then disappeared all-together.

The blond head of hair rested against his mother's shoulder, clutching his stuffed lion to his small chest with one hand, and his mother's dress with the other.

Lucius smiled and walked up to them quietly, placing a hand on the top of Draco's head to provide him with additional comfort. He was rewarded by a toothy grin as his son looked up, his smile wide at the sight of his father.

**Two  
><strong>The funeral had been as well attended as was expected for the death of a Malfoy Patriarch. Lucius had stood by the side of the grave, completely still and his face a blank mask to hide the truth of his feelings; that he had none but impatience for the long-winding service and disgust over what the poor weather did to his clothes. He felt nothing for his father and hadn't for a very long time.

Abraxas Malfoy had taken a traditional approach to childrearing; he'd left the raising of his only son to a governess and house-elves, and to Lucius' mother when she felt so inclined to grace her son with her presence. As a result, Lucius and Abraxas had not been close.

When he'd been younger, Lucius had always looked forward to coming back home for the holidays from Hogwarts, if only for the short dinner hour he and his parents enjoyed on Christmas Eve; before the guests arrived, before his parents left him behind to attend various grown-up parties he was not invited to, but when it was just Lucius and his parents and he had their full attention as he spoke of his success at school.

His father had never been proud though, always telling his son that he could do better, _be_ better; often implying that as a Malfoy, Lucius fell short.

When Abraxas moved out of the Manor following his wife's death and left it to Lucius, with many warnings and suggestions on how to maintain the grand house as if Lucius did not already know, the damage to their relationship had been doomed to never be repaired. Lucius may have been willing before, but by the time Abraxas moved out, Lucius had moved on; he would only have tried longer still for his mother's sake, but with her gone, he saw no reason.

Within months, Lucius had married Narcissa and they'd set about starting their own family. With Abraxas living abroad with little desire to travel, they spoke very rarely.

It took Draco being born before Lucius finally felt as though he was free from the need of his father's approval.

And as he stood in the rain, watching his father's grave being filled by black-clothed men; a grave not containing his body but instead his ashes due to the Dragon Pox that'd killed him, Lucius vowed that he would never make his children feel as though they weren't good enough, that they hadn't tried their hardest.

He was not going to turn into his own father and expect far too much of his eldest son. For he did not want there to ever be a day when Draco stood above his grave and felt nothing.

Or, worse yet; relief.

**Three  
><strong>Draco screamed; his face was red, snot covering half his face and the other drenched in tears and sweat. His favourite stuffed animal had disappeared and instead of accepting a replacement, he'd taken to throwing a temper tantrum.

Lucius sighed, watching the boy as he screamed and cried, rolling on the floor despite his mother's attempts to calm him, not to mention the multitude of house-elves who were all willing to bend over backwards to give him anything he wanted.

It was not the first tantrum Draco had thrown, but it was the worst. Even after Draco finally calmed and eventually slept, completely spent from his crying, Lucius could hear his screaming ringing in his ears.

Narcissa crawled into bed beside him, shutting off her light right away instead of picking up a book as she often did before sleeping.

Lucius turned to her. "And how many children did you want to have again?" he asked teasingly. "I think you said five?"

She groaned. "It's only very rarely that he gets like this though. And I never said five; I believe I said at least two, and that _you_ were the one who wanted a house full of children."

Lucius embraced her under the covers, allowing her to snuggle into his body.

"You've got me there. Good night, love."

She turned her head and kissed him. "Good night."

**Four  
><strong>"Father, look!"

Lucius glanced up from his paper, the frown marring his forehead from the news of their world disappearing as he watched his young son playing some feet away. Draco had found a frog, and since his mother and her sensibilities were currently not close by, he'd picked it up and was on his way towards Lucius to show it off.

As Draco came closer, his hands cupped around the small amphibian so it wouldn't escape, Lucius put his _Daily __Prophet_ down beside his cup of tea and gave him his full focus.

"What have you got there, son?" Lucius asked, helping Draco climb up into his lap. "Ohh," he sounded as was appropriate and expected as the boy opened his hands and showed the frog.

"I've named it Herbert," Draco said proudly, the gap from a prematurely missing front tooth courtesy of a fall from a tree making him lisp.

"Herbert?" Lucius asked, amused. "Where you get that name from?"

Draco shrugged a small shoulder.

"It just doesn't seem like a good name for a frog..."

Draco frowned as he studied the frog in his hands intently. "I know!" he suddenly cried. "Crocodile!"

Lucius laughed, but contained himself when Draco turned his gray eyes onto his father, hurt marring his features. "I'm sorry, son," Lucius said. "Crocodile is a good name for a frog, I agree."

Draco smiled happily. "His nickname could be Crocks," he said, nodding to himself. "Hello, Crock the Crocodile-Frog," he told the small creature in his hands.

"Be glad that it's not an actual Crocodile-frog," Lucius told him, kissing the top of Draco's blond head as he gazed down at the frog and spoke to it.

"I can't wait to show him to mother!"

Lucius smiled. "What say we keep this between the two of us, hmm? I'm afraid your mother doesn't quite like animals as much as you and I."

"Okay," Draco agreed.

Lucius smiled and hugged Draco closer, absolutely certain that whatever Draco agreed to, as soon as Narcissa stepped into their son's line of sight, the boy would want her to pet the frog. Lucius would enjoy watching the horrific look on her face and her attempts at squashing her reaction for Draco's sake, especially as he would be the one to comfort her afterwards.

**Five  
><strong>Lucius held Draco's hand as they walked up the stairs to the private box that was to be theirs for the game. He worried that the roar of the crowd would be too much for Draco to handle, but so far the boy seemed more fascinated with the sounds and sights. Lucius kept a close look on Draco though, wanting to be prepared in case he suddenly became overwhelmed and wanted to leave.

The Quidditch World Championship was held in Italy, and it was the first time Draco would see the game played.

They settled easily into their chairs; Lucius nodding and exchanging polite pleasantries with his acquaintances while Draco looked around, tugging on his father's hand to get closer to the edge.

The game started with a shower of colourful sparks. Draco was completely immersed in the game, but though Lucius enjoyed Quidditch and certainly listened to the announcer, his focus was on Draco.

At least until someone he knew very well sat down three chairs down.

Lucius' heart froze as their eyes met. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, moving the boy closer to him as if protect him from the Death Eater's presence.

"Father, I want to be a Beater," Draco said suddenly.

Lucius looked down. "What?"

"When I get old, I want to be a Beater."

Lucius thought of Narcissa's reaction, and almost smiled. "Anyone can hit a Bludger or two, but very few men are talented enough to be Seekers," he said in a haughty voice, wanting to discourage Draco from thoughts of becoming a Beater; Narcissa would never allow it.

"But they don't do anything," Draco complained.

Lucius laughed then. "They will."

"All right," Draco agreed half-heartedly, his focus already back on the game.

Lucius smiled down at him, until he remembered who was there. He looked up at the man; only to find him still studying Lucius and Draco. Lucius' eyes narrowed and the man looked away, a sneer playing on his face.

Draco became tired before the game was over, so Lucius picked him up and left, not even caring that he was missing the final moments of the game. Especially not when Draco, almost asleep against his shoulder, told him it'd been the best day ever.

**Six  
><strong>Draco sat on the grass, enjoying the sunlight as he played with a stray cat that'd wandered onto the property. Lucius smiled, pausing by the wicker table to lean his cane against it and remove his gloves. He'd had a long day at the Ministry, working various contacts and he was glad to be home, even if Narcissa had taken his reappearance at the Manor to leave for a weekend in Paris with Mrs. Parkinson.

On the table laid a box, courtesy of a house-elf who'd brought the package out when it'd arrived earlier in the day.

"Draco," Lucius called, picking up the elongated box.

Draco stood at his father's voice and ran over to him, throwing his arms around Lucius legs and hugging him tightly. "Hi, Father! Did you see my cat?" He turned around to point at where he'd petted the feline, only to frown. The cat had scurried off, probably scared away by Draco's sudden movements.

"It's all right, son, I saw it." Lucius patted Draco on the head, allowing his fingers to run through the strands of his newly cut hair; Narcissa had finally put her foot down and forced scissors on him. Draco smiled up at him, showing off his row of teeth.

"I have a present for you," Lucius said, holding the box over Draco's head. When Draco reached up to grab it, Lucius lifted it higher teasingly.

Draco frowned at him. "Dad," he said, crossing his arms.

Lucius lowered the box. "What?" he asked, faux innocent.

Draco jumped suddenly, catching his father by surprise as he caught the box. Too big for him, it tumbled to the ground by their feet and opened. A shining new broom fell out, rolling onto Lucius' shoes.

Draco stared, wide-eyed. Lucius bent down and picked the broom up, holding it out to his son.

"Won't you take it?" he asked after a moment, worried he might've read Draco wrong and the boy did not want to learn how to fly.

Draco reached out carefully, touching the broom. "It's pretty."

Lucius laughed. "I thought maybe you would want to learn."

Draco's eyes were wide, but not as wide as his smile as he looked up at his father. "_Really_?"

"Yeah, I thought this weekend might be a good time too, since your mother isn't here to fret."

"Yes, I want to fly right now!" Draco cried, grabbing the broom from Lucius hands. He made as if to jump onto it, but Lucius stopped him.

"Wait, wait, you have to learn properly, if you want your mother to allow you to fly in the future."

Lucius removed his cloak, took Draco's hand and led him out onto the grass. The broom dragged on the ground as Draco carried it. The stray cat ran across in front of them, and though Draco turned to look at it, his focus was on his impending broom ride and instead of running after the cat, he followed his father.

They stopped in the middle of the yard; Draco looking expectant.

Lucius had never flown with his own father, but had to wait until he went to Hogwarts to learn, to the humiliation of his eleven-year-old self. Despite Narcissa's worries about Draco's safety, Lucius wanted to share in the experience with his son.

"All right, the first thing you have to think about is to _never__ let __go __of __the __broom_."

Draco nodded along as Lucius explained, visibly eager to fly himself. Eventually, Lucius helped his son onto the broom and held onto it as Draco hovered at waist level. The evening grew darker as they played, Draco never far out of Lucius hands.

A house-elf came out to fetch them for supper, and only then did they venture back inside.

It was clear; Draco was completely hooked on flying.

**Seven  
><strong>Lucius left his study with Pierre Parkinson following. After a productive meeting, they decided to join their wives and children in the sitting room early; Lucius because he'd had a long day and was sick of Parkinson and Pierre because he did everything Lucius said.

Narcissa sat with Pierre's insipid wife, Violet in the sitting room, drinking tea and chatting politely when the men arrived. Draco and Pansy were nowhere to be seen, but it wasn't until after they'd had their tea and the cakes were brought out that they realised the children were missing from the room entirely.

A house-elf was sent to find them, and, having been educated in the importance of taking care of Draco before anyone or anything else, the boy was the first one to be found.

"I don't wanna go back!" he cried when the elf found him hiding under a piano, two rooms away.

Narcissa looked to Lucius with a pointed look, wanting to stay to distract Violet from hearing more of what sounded like a prelude to a Draco-tantrum.

Lucius stood and made his way to the room the elf had found Draco; it was hunkered down by the piano, peering in under it at Draco, trying to lure him out with a piece of cake. Lucius walked up to them and bent down also; he found his son with his arms crossed and a resolute expression on his face.

"Draco," Lucius said warningly.

"I don't wanna," Draco whined. "She keeps following me."

"Who? Pansy?" Lucius asked, amused.

"_Yes_," Draco sighed dramatically. "I don't like her."

"You're going to have to deal with a lot of people in your life you don't like, son; better get used to it now. Besides, you and she will be at Hogwarts together and you may change your mind in the future."

"I will not!" Draco stared at him, surprised. "Never!"

"You never know; you may want to marry her one day."

"Yes!"

Lucius almost hit his head on the edge of the piano as he twisted and stood; in the doorway stood Pansy with a big smile on her face.

"We're going to get married, Draco," she said, coming closer.

"No!" Draco cried from under the piano.

"Yes we are; your dad just said so," she told him, crawling in under the piano.

Lucius stared, amused at their antics; especially as Draco shot out from under the piano and raced out the room, Pansy hot on his heels calling his name, and the house-elf following behind them both.

Lucius shook his head and went back to the sitting room. "The children are playing," he told the other adults by way of explanation. "Let's not disturb them."

**Eight  
><strong>Narcissa stood by the window, gazing out into the dark expanse of their land, her reflection barely visible due to the dark of the room behind her. Lucius shut the door quietly, not wanting to disturb her silent reverie. He walked up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder before wrapping his arms around her.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder, wiping at the tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Draco's down for the night," Lucius told her gently.

"Good, that's good," Narcissa replied, her voice wavering.

"We can't keep doing this," he said after a while, hugging her closer.

"I know," she breathed. "But..." she drew in a shaky breath. "We've both always wanted more than one child."

"Yes," he nodded against her hair, kissing the top of her head gently. "But we can't keep going through this; _you_ can't keep going through this, emotionally or physically. We have Draco; he has to be enough."

More tears fell as they stood in silence together: after many years of trying, of many joyful moments followed by a great deal of sorrow, neither had been ready to let go of their dream of more children. Narcissa had wanted a daughter, and Lucius had not wanted his son to grow up an only child, as he had.

"He's going to get spoiled rotten, isn't he?" Narcissa asked after a moment, as if reading Lucius memories of how his parents had spoiled him.

"Yes, most likely," he answered with a laugh. "We can pretend though, if you want, that we're going to try not to spoil him. Too much."

Narcissa turned in his arms, and smiling, her cheeks still wet from tears, she reached up and kissed him.

**Nine  
><strong>It had been a long week away from home; he'd worked seemingly non-stop and because of new travel laws, Lucius had had to take a long way home. He was weary and tired, and he wanted nothing more than to shower and crawl into bed when he stepped into the marble hall of his home.

A house-elf gathered up his luggage and disappeared with it, and Lucius made his way towards the stairs, already imagining lying in bed sleeping.

His wife's laughter stopped him, and he turned towards the sound; it was coming from the kitchen. Frowning, Lucius changed course and soon found himself in the doorway to what used to be the kitchen; it was a complete mess, flour and cocoa powder everywhere, used bowls and dirty utensils lying about on every flat surface and in the middle of it all, Narcissa and Draco.

They too were covered in various ingredients, and Narcissa's hair had a streak of chocolate sauce running through it. She was even wearing an apron as she mixed something in a bowl.

"I wish I had a camera," Lucius said, smiling as he took in the unusual sight in front of him.

"Daddy!" Draco cried, hopping down from the chair and running over to Lucius. Not thinking about what he was covered in as he threw himself into Lucius' embrace. "Look at what we did!"

"I see, Draco. Looks like you and mommy were busy while I was away." He smiled, walking over to Narcissa to kiss her hello. "What are you making?"

"Cupcakes," Narcissa said. "I didn't think it would be so difficult."

"Looks like you need some help," Lucius said, putting Draco back down on the chair he used to reach the counter.

"What do _you_ know about making cupcakes?" Narcissa asked amused.

"Well, I never told you this, but secretly I am a world class baker of cupcakes," Lucius joked.

Narcissa kissed him. "You'll need an apron."

"I will never live this down, will I?"

Narcissa simply smiled and went to fetch the apron, which she helped Lucius tie on; all of his weariness completely forgotten in the face of Narcissa's smile and by the sound of Draco's laugh.

**Ten  
><strong>Narcissa loved Paris in the spring, and they went often. Sometimes it was just Lucius and Narcissa, especially for shorter weekend trips, but with Draco going to Hogwarts in the fall, Narcissa took every opportunity to spend time with their son. Lucius wasn't complaining; he too wanted to spend as much time with Draco as he could, and as a result, they travelled extensively in the year before Draco would move to Scotland.

They had an apartment in the city, a gift from Lucius to Narcissa for their honeymoon, and though it was small by their own high standards, it was perfectly fitted for their needs while away. And though it was located in a regular, though old and fashionable, Muggle building, but they had their own private entry and as such they did not have to mingle with anyone they choose not to.

As often happened when Lucius was in Paris, he had to meet up with a contact, leaving Narcissa and Draco to their own devices for the day. Narcissa enjoyed visiting museums, and though Lucius wasn't sure he wanted Draco exposed to what the Muggles considered culture, there were wings within the Louvre which included art created by wizards of the past.

It wasn't until supper, when Draco told his father of all that he'd seen that day, that he realised that not only had Draco seen a lot of Muggle art, but he'd even spoken to some Muggle child who'd been visiting the Louvre with her parents; she too had come from England, and had overheard Narcissa and Draco speaking.

Draco was full of stories of the girl, who'd known so much about the art they viewed, despite her young age. Lucius had listened, horrified, and though he kept sending Narcissa reproaching looks across the table, she studiously ignored him as she ate her food.

"We will return home in the morning," Lucius announced suddenly, halting Draco's stream of words and stopping Narcissa's fork as they both looked up at him.

"But, _Mother_," Draco complained, turning to her.

"Eat your dinner, Draco," Narcissa merely replied.

Lucius ignored them both, and they finished supper in silence.

**Eleven  
><strong>Lucius glanced down at the list of books in his hand, making sure he'd gathered them all; some were titles he recognised, but in the years since he'd graduated from Hogwarts it seemed as if the list had diminished, but that was probably due to the fact that when he'd been younger, he'd looked at the list of books with the reminder that _he_ would be the one to study them all and now he could be more objective.

He walked to the front of the shop with his pile of books trailing behind him to pay, slowing down his walk as he noticed a patron being rung up; he detested having to stand in lines, thinking it entirely beneath him. Instead, he pretended to be interested in a shelf of new releases, while he kept an eye on the front desk; once the customer had left and it was empty, he walked up to it.

A shadow fell over the glass as the teller rang up his books, and Lucius glanced up just in time to see Hagrid, the Hogwarts' gamekeeper walking past holding two large ice cream cones. Lucius sneered at the sight of him, only to frown when he noticed that the giant had stopped outside Madam Malkin's, where Draco was.

"Send them to my house," Lucius said to the shopkeeper, throwing enough Galleons to cover the cost of the books onto the desk as he stepped out of the store, suddenly worried for reasons he couldn't understand.

Hagrid stood with his back towards Lucius, and he paused as the door to Madam Malkin's opened and closed, the door bell jingling as a small, dark-haired boy stepped out.

"'Ere yeh 're Harry, I got yeh some ice cream."

_Harry__ Potter_. Lucius froze, his heart tripling in speed as he realised that the boy had just come out of the same shop Draco had been in, and Draco, not knowing any better, would surely have begun talking to him.

When the two moved off, Lucius getting himself a good look at the profile of the dark-haired boy and seeing through his fringe the strange shape on his forehead that could only be _the__ scar_, hurried into Madam Malkins'.

Draco was just finishing up getting fitted, and he smiled as he saw his father. "I need a new broom," he said as they exited the shop together and walked down the street towards Olivanders.

Lucius, distracted as he looked up and down the street to make sure they avoided running into Hagrid and _Harry__ Potter_, barely listened. "You can't take it to Hogwarts," he said, opening the door to the wand shop.

"But, _Father_, I want a new broom!"

"Draco," Lucius said warningly as he caught sight of Narcissa. "We're leaving," he told her, not even waiting for her to speak. "Right now."

She frowned, glancing down at Draco who stood next to his father, already sulking in his attempts at persuading his parents to abide to his will. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Lucius lied, glancing around before looking at his wife pointedly; she understood the silent message and together, they left the store, Draco trailing behind unhappily.

But Lucius was relieved, because Draco's behaviour showed that today at least, was not the day he'd found out the truth.

**Twelve  
><strong>Lucius didn't want to imagine Draco's reaction to the letter, asking him to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas break. It was necessary however, as Narcissa was not in a right mind to celebrate, and neither was Lucius; despite having promised each other not to try for more children, they had become pregnant, only to lose the child a short time later.

It was not something Draco needed to know however, so Lucius had had to lie; Draco would be upset, and he was sure a tantrum would be coming in the form of snarky letters and ignoring of his parents, but as much as Lucius hated to disappoint his son, his wife needed him more right now.

And as much as she wanted to hug Draco to her, especially at a time like this, she was not ready to pretend everything was fine and like nothing had happened.

"Archimedes," Lucius called to the owl snacking by the window. The flapping of wings disturbed his hair as the magnificent bird sat down on his perch by the writing desk; he held out a leg to allow Lucius to attach the letter. "Take this to Draco."

Once the owl had left, Lucius scrubbed a hand over his tired face as he took a moment to himself to just breathe. It would be strange to have Christmas without Draco; Draco made their Christmases into what they were. Unlike Lucius' own parents, he and Narcissa spent the holidays with their son, and only accepted a very few select invitations; and never on the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth, choosing instead to be home with Draco.

An elf appeared at the door. "Master, the Mistress is wanting you in the sitting room."

Lucius nodded and the elf disappeared around the corner. With a sigh, Lucius stood and made his way to his wife.

**Thirteen  
><strong>Lucius knew Draco had exaggerated - he was a bit of a drama queen, that son of his - but the fact remained that a vicious creature had injured his only son. Only the quick thinking of _a__girl_, whose inferior birth meant she shouldn't even have been allowed at Hogwarts if Lucius had had any say in it, had gotten Draco to the Hospital Wing in time to prevent any complications from arising - not to mention preventing his pain and suffering from being prolonged unnecessarily.

The creature had to die - and if not for Draco's sake, or for the added pleasure Lucius received from taking it away from the half-giant, then it had to be put down for Narcissa's sake. Despite being reassured that Draco was fine, from the boy himself and from Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore, and despite the fact that the injuries he'd suffered hadn't been life threatening and had been quick and easy to heal, Narcissa had been distraught.

She worried about the boy excessively even when nothing happened, and to get an owl from the Headmaster saying that Draco needed medical attention due to an accident in Magical Creatures class had been enough to make her want to pull the boy out of school entirely.

For Lucius, it wasn't until he found out - months after the event, from Crabbe Sr. of all people - that Draco had been slapped across the face by the very same _girl_ who'd essentially saved him, that he considered moving Draco to Durmstrang; a school where no such people would be found and he wouldn't have to worry about Draco coming into contact with Mudbloods on a daily basis.

The nerve of that girl; it wasn't enough that she was a Mudblood, or that she bested his son in every subject, but she'd actually laid a hand on him.

Lucius hated her.

**Fourteen  
><strong>They were having dinner when he felt it again; the burn. Lucius fell forward from the shock and the pain; he'd not felt it in so many years that he'd forgotten what it was like.

Narcissa stared at him as he clutched at his arm, and when their eyes met hers were filled with horror. They both knew what it meant; only Lord Voldemort could activate the burn.

"I have to go," he said, standing and moving towards the doors.

"_No_!" Narcissa stood. She followed him out into the entry hall.

"Dippy!" Lucius called, and when the elf arrived, he told him, his voice heavy but devoid of emotion, to get his Death Eater wear.

Narcissa grabbed him, standing in front of the marble fireplace. "_Please_ don't go."

Lucius enveloped her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "I have to, you know that."

"No," Narcissa shook her head against his shoulder. "You don't have to go. Just stay here."

"But I do. It will be so much worse if I'm not there. If he's back-"

"But how can he be back?" she interrupted, her voice wavering as her eyes filled with tears.

"Narcissa, please." He kissed her then.

"I thought it was over," she said when he pulled away. "I thought we were free."

"Me too," Lucius whispered, just as Dippy returned with a crack. The elf said nothing as it held out his mask and cloak, but fear filled it's big round eyes.

"I'll come back as soon as I can," Lucius promised once he'd buttoned his cloak. He caressed her cheek gently, wiping away a tear that'd fallen. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

Lucius took his mask, steeled himself for whatever was about to come, turned on the spot and left.

**Continued in Part Two**


	2. Part Two

**Stand By You** (2/2)

**Fifteen  
><strong>"Draco, could you come into my study please?" Lucius asked, before turning to leave the sitting room where Draco sat with his mother, sure that Draco was going to follow.

Lucius settled in his chair as Draco entered. "Close the door."

Draco did so before having a seat. "What's going on?" he asked.

"You know what has happened," Lucius started.

Draco nodded, saving Lucius the trouble of spelling it out in more detail.

"What this means, for when you go back to school again, is that you have to be more careful."

"More careful?" Draco frowned.

"Your friends might not be your friends, but spies for their parents to help them rise in the ranks of the Dark Lord, for instance."

Draco's frown deepened. "So what, I can't talk to them any more?"

"Of course you can talk to them, Draco. They would be suspicious if you didn't; just be careful. Don't reveal too much, don't look like you've got something to hide and stay consistent; a sudden change in your habits might be cause for suspicion."

"Dad, come on, you can't be serious."

"This is very serious, Draco. This is life and death. The Dark Lord is back, and he's going to expect you to join him."

Draco straightened in his chair, his eyes widening. "I- I don't want to," he admitted.

Lucius paused. "I am sort of relieved to hear that, but you may not have a choice in the matter."

Draco frowned. "There's always a choice," he said, matter-of-fact.

"I used to think so too," Lucius said quietly. "But sometimes you get pushed into a corner and you have no choice but doing what you can to keep yourself and your family alive."

Draco said nothing, and for a while, neither did Lucius.

"You should not change your outward behaviour, but I do not want you to be involved, so try not to antagonise Potter and his friends too much."

Draco shifted in his seat and looked away, almost in discomfort at the subject. Lucius choose to ignore it.

"I realise that you have to badger them somewhat, since it is expected by everyone, but try to stick to silly school stuff and nothing of much weight; do not for instance call the Granger girl a Mudblood, however much she may be one, because if, and it is a rather big if, the Dark Lord loses, I want you at least to be able to come out of it unscathed."

Draco's eyes had narrowed, but he nodded in agreement regardless.

"I will try and prevent your joining for as long as I can, and if there ever comes a day when I hand you a portkey, I want you to take it without arguments and stay away until it's all over, and take care of your mother. Do you understand?"

Draco nodded again. "I understand."

"The Dark Lord lost once before, and while we've grown in numbers since then, so has the Order; we must prepare for every eventuality and I will not risk you or your mother being hurt in the crossfire. You stay out of everything, you don't join the Death Eaters and you just look after yourself, do you hear me?"

"I do, but what if someone in school asks me to join? You said yourself that some of them might be spies for their parents; what if some of them have already joined?" Draco asked.

Lucius frowned. "The Dark Lord didn't used to accept children; you would need to be old enough to Apparate legally, but I do worry he might feel desperate now and accept anyone who wants to join, simply to gain numbers. If someone asks you to join, tell them that you _are_ joining, only you're waiting for the right time."

"The right time, right. Anything else?"

Lucius shook his head. "No, but Draco, please be careful."

Draco nodded as he stood. "I will."

"If I hear about you having joined the Death Eaters, I will be very unhappy," Lucius warned as Draco moved towards the door.

Draco smiled. "I promise you, Father, I have no intentions what-so-ever to join the Death Eaters or their cause."

The door closed behind him, and Lucius frowned; the words were what he'd wanted to hear, as he wanted to keep Draco out of the fighting entirely, but somehow, the words he'd spoken sounded ominous.

**Sixteen  
><strong>The cell was dark, but not quiet; in the corner a rat scurried about, and there was a drip just outside of the bars where a constant fall of water drove Lucius near insane. Sounds came from other cells as well; some cried, some shouted and the man right across from Lucius sat huddled in a ball, rocking back and forth as he mumbled something over and over to himself.

It was degrading and dirty, and if not for the knowledge that his wife and son were safe within the Order, Lucius was sure he too would've been rocking back and forth and wanting to end it all.

The war was still ongoing as it had been all summer; he would not be released until it was over, for better or for worse. His son, having realised much earlier than his father that their family would not survive the war on the Dark Lord's side, had turned coat and, behind his father's back, joined Dumbledore's Army.

At first, Lucius had been convinced that Draco had simply infiltrated their little group, but then he'd been at the Ministry and fought against the Death Eaters. Lucius had been shocked, and though he hated the thought of joining the ranks of Mudbloods and traitors, he'd chosen to stand by his son.

He'd still been arrested, but now there was hope.

The Dark Lord had lost his mind completely, and though Lucius still fully believed purebloods were the superior race, his survival instincts were greater than those beliefs.

Once the shock of Draco's betrayal to the cause Lucius had thought Draco truly believed in had settled, he'd felt pride over his son, who had put aside his own feelings for the greater good of the family.

A guard walked past, and Lucius shrank away into the shadows. The rat came closer and nibbled at his clothes; he kicked it away and leaned his head back against the cold stone wall.

His family was safe, and that was all that mattered.

**Seventeen  
><strong>The clock on the mantle ticked past midnight, slowly but surely past the hour of Draco's usual return. Lucius frowned, wetting his lips with his snifter of brandy as he waited; lately, Draco had been staying out very late or coming in just before breakfast was served, and though he claimed he was out with Zabini and Nott, Lucius was starting to suspect differently.

Draco never returned home smelling of alcohol, as he should if he'd truly been out with Blaise and Theo. He'd become more secretive as of late, and considering the rumours Lucius had heard regarding Draco's continued friendship with the-boy-who-lived and his friends worried him, especially _the__ girl_.

The hour was well past midnight when the fire blazed green and Draco stepped through, his cloak unbuttoned and his hair a mess. The love-sick smile he'd worn when he stepped through the fireplace fell away as he noticed his father waiting.

"Who is she?" Lucius asked.

"Who what?" Draco's eyes widened in an attempt at looking innocent, and as if he didn't know exactly who, Lucius was referring.

"The girl, Draco. Who is the girl?"

"No one. There's no girl," he lied unconvincingly. There was a moment of silence before Draco turned towards the stairs. "I need to get to bed though, I'm exhausted."

"We'll continue this conversation in the morning," Lucius warned.

"Can't wait," Draco said sarcastically before he raced up the stairs to his bedroom.

Lucius turned back to the fire, draining his drink. He had a very bad feeling everything was about to change for the worse.

**Eighteen  
><strong>A noise drew him in the direction of the library, and when Lucius entered the open double doors, he paused in surprise as he spied his estranged son lurking about the bookcases, a frown marring his face and scrap of parchment in his hand, his eyes trailing across the multitude of titles housed on the shelf in front of him, now and again glancing down at the text written on the paper, his frown deepening each time he had to move further down the line.

Lucius watched him for a moment, drinking in the sight of Draco, grown and tall, in his rightful place at the Manor. It was a sight Lucius had often doubted he would be treated to again since Draco had begun avoiding him, and he didn't want to spoil the moment since he doubted he'd have the opportunity to watch Draco in such a way again any time soon.

Lucius didn't know why Draco was back from his "holiday", though he could easily venture a guess that his son wasn't looking for a book for himself, not in that particular section, but he didn't care.

Draco turned suddenly with a sigh, and had it not been for his startled jump when he noticed his father standing there, Lucius would've been certain the boy had turned because he'd sensed someone watching him.

Silence reigned between them; Draco had been gone for five months and his hair was longer.

"Do you need help finding something?" Lucius asked finally, stepping further into the library.

Draco looked down at the parchment he held; seemingly surprised that he'd crumpled it in his fist. "Yes, actually, if you don't mind," he replied politely, if a little flustered.

"I don't mind," Lucius assured him, coming closer. "What are you looking for?"

"Um," Draco looked at the note, "_Rituals __and__ Other__ Similar__ Things__ as__ Performed __by__ Scottish__ People__ in __the __Wild __on __Starlit __Nights __and__ Sometimes __Also __during__ a __Full __Moon_ by Newton Holgerson," he said. "It's for H- er, I mean, I-"

Lucius held up a hand, halting his son's pathetic attempts. "The less I know, the better I think."

"Right," Draco nodded in agreement.

In no time, Lucius found Draco the book he wanted. He handed it over without a word.

"Thank you, Father," Draco said as he accepted it. "I'll return it as soon as Her-, as soon as possible."

"No worries; I doubt your mother or myself will wish to read that particular book in the foreseeable future."

"Right, well, I should," Draco motioned towards the doors. "You know..."

"Of course, don't let me keep you."

With one last look, Draco left the library, and his father, behind.

Lucius watched him go, his heart heavy.

**Nineteen  
><strong>The door to Draco's room was open, and as Lucius passed it he noticed movements inside. He stopped in surprise and looked in; the closet doors were open and more than half of the clothes were missing; some of them lay on Draco's bed, but most were packed down into the open bag standing on the floor.

Draco came out of the bathroom, holding some bottles of potion. He looked up as Lucius stepped inside.

"What are you doing?" Lucius asked.

Draco looked at his bag, then around the mostly empty room. "I'm just-"

Lucius' face hardened. "Moving _out_?"

Draco walked up to his bed, putting the items in his hands into the open bag. "Not exactly," he hedged.

Lucius took a step closer. "If you think for one moment that I'm going to accept you living with _that_ _girl_ you are sorely mistaken, Draco."

"I'm of age, _Father_, I can do what I want."

"Not while you live under this roof, you won't!" Lucius took another step closer. "This has gone on for long enough; you need to stop seeing that girl."

"I will not."

Lucius' face hardened. "I will disinherit you if you don't stop seeing her," he threatened, his voice low and final.

Draco blinked at his father, before shaking his head, an almost amused smile playing on his face. "You think that's going to stop me?"

"I am serious, Draco; you will have nothing."

"I will have her, and she's worth more than ten of _you_," Draco returned, zipping up his bag and quickly shrinking it down.

"Do not test me, boy," Lucius ground out, feeling his temper rising; he had started it out as a bluff, to get Draco to pause, to consider what it was he was risking, but if the boy decided to leave anyway, Lucius would make true of his warnings.

"So am I. It's not a big fucking loss, getting you out of my life," Draco returned, his voice rising.

Lucius' heart hurt, but he pushed on, wanting Draco to see reason. "And how will you live? You don't have any money."

"I have a job, actually," Draco told him.

Lucius stared. "_What_? Since when?"

"What do you think I'm doing all day, Father?" Draco asked sardonically. "I work at the Ministry."

"No son of mine will work menial labour. You will quit instantly," Lucius demanded.

Draco laughed and picked up his bag. "But you forget, _Father_, I'm no longer a son of yours; you're disinheriting me, remember?"

"You cannot honestly expect me to believe that you will actually leave?" Lucius asked, suddenly shocked. He was so used to getting his own way, that somehow he'd missed Draco growing up, growing into a person of his own.

"Look around you; I've already left."

They stared at each other across the room, their faces hard and their eyes blank as they narrowed in glares, so much alike.

"Fine, persist in this little silly rebellion, break your mother's heart; you are no longer welcomed here," Lucius said finally, his back straight and tense.

"I'm not the one breaking her heart, you are," Draco accused.

"Didn't you hear me? Get out," Lucius said.

"Fine, I'm leaving."

Draco moved across the room, their eyes caught in a heated glare until he passed his father. Lucius remained in the room, long after the sounds of Draco leaving the Manor disappearing.

He was breathing hard and he struggled to stay upright. It's been the worst fight they'd ever had, a fight long in coming, and all over a girl. Though Lucius had long planned on giving Draco such an ultimatum, the girl or his rightful inheritance, he'd never expected the outcome to be Draco choosing to leave.

But he would be back, Lucius was certain. Draco hadn't been taught how to survive out in the real world, without all the money the Malfoys' had at their disposal, or the care from the house-elves.

Quiet weeks passed, filled with Narcissa's red rimmed eyes and accusing looks. It wasn't until Lucius read in the Daily Prophet, eight weeks after he'd last seen his son, about how Draco had been promoted and he saw him, together with the girl, that he realised that Draco was truly not coming back.

**Twenty  
><strong>Lucius cut into his breakfast, not even glancing up as an elf arrived to deliver the morning paper. It was folded, the wrong side up, so it wasn't until he'd finished his breakfast and picked the paper up that he saw it; a picture of Draco, with his new wife, gracing the front page with big smiles on both of their faces as they looked at each other.

His heart hurt as he watched his only child look happier than he'd ever before seen him, with a woman who was not worthy of even being in the same room as a Malfoy, much less married to one.

Lucius watched with a sneer on his face as the image of _Hermione_ reached up to smooth away a lock of Draco's hair.

The sneer disappeared as it was replaced by a shocked look as Lucius zeroed in on the girl's hand; she was wearing a Malfoy heirloom ring - the very ring he'd not been able to give to Narcissa because his mother had still been alive when he proposed and she'd refused to give it up.

Lucius lowered the paper to look at his wife, his eyes boring into her until she looked up from her plate. He didn't say a word, but when he pointedly opened the paper, displaying the image and the ring she must've given their son, his message was clear.

They didn't speak a word as they finished their breakfast, and though Lucius was dying to know just how often Narcissa spoke to their son, why she hadn't told him and how Draco was truly doing, Lucius' pride wouldn't allow him to admit he might've been too hasty in kicking Draco out and ignoring him for the past year and a half.

**Twenty-One  
><strong>Lucius hurried through the corridor, his heart pounding. He walked past nurses and patients in various degrees of healing; his focus on finding room 914. He'd been in a private meeting when the news came for him and had only been able to read the note left for him once the meeting had finished; nearly three hours after the accident that landed Narcissa in the hospital.

He arrived finally at the right room. The door was open and Lucius was just about to enter when he paused, seeing his son standing over the bed that housed Narcissa. Draco kissed her forehead gently, whispering something to her before he moved towards the door.

As he spied his father standing in the doorway, he paused. For a long moment they did nothing but stare at each other; only when Narcissa moved on the bed did Lucius look away, his hard mask melting at the sight of his wife. He moved towards the bed; he'd barely reached her side when he heard the door closing behind Draco.

Narcissa woke as he caressed her hair, smiling groggily up at him. "Did you see Draco?" she asked.

Lucius nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"I have felt better."

"The Doctor said you should be able to go home tomorrow," Lucius said, holding her hand.

"Did you _talk_ to Draco?" Narcissa pressed.

"He had to leave," Lucius told her.

Narcissa gave him a long look, knowing he was using it as an excuse but too tired to argue any more.

Lucius kissed her forehead. "I was so worried," he whispered against her.

"I'm fine, love. I'm fine." She caressed his hair as he kissed her.

**Twenty-Two  
><strong>Lucius walked into the dimly lit main room of the Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch after a day at the Ministry. He glanced around the room more out of habit than interest as he made his way past the bar to a secluded table in the back, when his eyes caught sight of his son, sitting alone over a half-empty pint.

Lucius hesitated, before he stepped up to the bar and sat down on an empty chair beside his son. Draco looked up at him, and though he looked away again he didn't tell Lucius to leave. He took that as a good sign.

"Want to talk about it?" he tried.

"With _you_?" Draco asked, snorting.

There was a pause as Lucius considered which approach to take. "Draco, I really do want you to be happy."

Draco scoffed, taking a drink from his glass.

"I- I love you, son."

Draco looked up in shock. "It's been a very long time since you last said that to me."

"I know. I'm sorry." Lucius placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Will you tell me what's wrong? I promise I won't suggest a divorce as the only solution."

Draco frowned at him. "What makes you think my troubles are related to my marriage?"

Lucius smiled. "I recognise the look."

"Well, it's nothing really - it's just her job; it takes up a lot of time."

"Well, maybe she should quit. It's not very becoming of a wife to- fine, fine," Lucius stopped at the look Draco sent him.

"Well, quitting is not really an option for us, because we need the money." Draco turned his empty glass over on the bar, watching as the residue slid down the inside of the glass and wetted the bar. "It's her boss mainly, he makes her work more overtime than should be allowed, but she does it because we need the money and the work needs to be done and he won't hire another employee even though he should and it just frustrates me that I can't do anything about it."

"Can't she change jobs?" Lucius asked, not really knowing what else to say, never having had such work-related problems before.

"She wants to work with magical creatures, and I fully support that - she's always worked for the rights of creatures who couldn't do so themselves. You remember SPEW?"

Lucius nodded, unnecessarily, as Draco wasn't looking in his direction.

"Let me buy you some lunch," Lucius said, standing. "Come on, there's a table in the back; it's more private too."

Draco looked at him for a moment as he deliberated, before nodding and standing.

**Twenty-Three  
><strong>Narcissa paced across the sitting room, nervously glancing at the clock every few seconds as she passed it. Lucius sat on the sofa, watching her.

"Love, sit down."

She glanced at him before she sat down; but she only sat for a moment before she rose to rearrange the tea tray. "What if she doesn't like me?"

"Who?" Lucius asked.

Narcissa threw him a confused look. "Hermione of course, who else?"

Lucius scoffed. "She's the one who should be worried about that though, isn't she?"

Narcissa glared at him where he sat, totally relaxed despite the hour of Draco and Hermione's first dinner at the Manor drew closer. "I think you're forgetting that our son would rather have her in his life than us; we're the ones who have to make a good impression. If she's uncomfortable, if she positively hates us, he'll not think twice to cut us out of his life for her sake. Again."

Lucius frowned.

"Remember that, and be on your absolutely best behaviour tonight." Narcissa touched a vase of flowers. "Or we will lose him completely," she said sadly.

The evening, despite Narcissa's worries, was as much of a success as could be expected. Hermione and Draco had arrived, both nervous but for different reasons, but once they got past the first awkwardness, conversation flowed easily between all four.

When Hermione and Draco left later that night, Narcissa hugged her husband, long and hard as she smiled into his neck.

**Twenty-Four  
><strong>It was a quiet afternoon at the Malfoy Manor. Lucius sat at a writing desk, returning corresponding as Narcissa drank her afternoon tea in the soft summer light.

The doors were suddenly thrown open and Draco burst in for the first time since he'd moved out, startling both Narcissa and Lucius.

"I'm going to be a father!"

Lucius stared, his breath stuck as he took in the news. He watched, deeply shocked, as Narcissa stood and embraced Draco, kissing both of his cheeks.

"We have to have a party," she said excitedly.

Lucius stood, moving closer.

"Mother, no," Draco said. "We're not telling anyone outside of family yet; it's too soon."

"Nonsense! It's never too soon to celebrate a baby," Narcissa said. "We could have it here, in the ballroom."

"Mother, please." Draco looked uncomfortable. "We don't want anyone to know, just in case... I don't want her to have to deal with the public..."

Narcissa's smile dimmed, remembering all of the siblings Draco did not have. "Of course; I understand."

She touched his cheek before she rose on her feet to kiss him gently on the forehead.

"I have something for Hermione, let me go get it." She left, throwing a look at Lucius before she walked through the doors and out of sight.

Draco looked up at his father, a hesitant expression on his face. Lucius came closer.

"Congratulations, Draco. I'm very happy for you - for you both," he said, sincerely.

To Draco's obvious surprise, Lucius hugged him for the first time since Draco had been a child. Draco hugged him back, surprised but happy.

"Thank you, we're very excited."

"I guess now she'll have to stop working after all, huh?" Lucius said, pulling away.

"I don't think Hermione will ever stop working entirely," Draco admitted. "Besides, with another mouth to feed, we're going to need the-"

Narcissa arrived back, holding a small gift box in her hand. She smiled as she gave it to Draco, "It's a Malfoy tradition."

"Thank you," he said, kissing her cheek. "I have to go though; I just wanted to tell you both right away. We'll come over for dinner later this week, all right?"

"Of course, dear," Narcissa said. "Say hello to Hermione for us and congratulations again." She hugged him, smiling widely. "I'm so happy for you."

Lucius said goodbye, looking deep in thought as Draco left.

Narcissa turned to Lucius. "I can't believe we're going to be grandparents," she said excitedly, hugging him closely.

"Hmmm," Lucius agreed distractedly as he hugged her back.

"What's going on?" Narcissa asked, frowning. "You're not unhappy, are you?"

"What? No, I'm happy - I was just thinking about something Draco said." He sighed. "I think it's time I swallow my pride completely and reinstate him as my official son and heir."

Narcissa pulled back, horrified. "You still haven't?"

"Well, no," Lucius said. The look in her eyes hardened and Lucius became defensive. "He still disobeyed and married that-"

"Stop," Narcissa told him, stepping back and glaring at him. "You fix it, and you fix it _now_".

**Twenty-Five  
><strong>Lucius watched as Narcissa held Scorpius in her arms, playing with his hands as the boy pumped his chubby fists in the air. It was the first time they'd been babysitting with Draco and Hermione out of the house, but after nearly two months of no time to themselves, they had finally consented to leave their child in the hands of his grandparents for an evening so they could go out for dinner.

"Think they'll have more?" Lucius asked, smiling as Scorpius got a hold of Narcissa's necklace.

"I hope so," she replied, smiling down at the boy as she extracted the chain from his clutch. His hair was as blond as his father's, but he had his mother's dark eyes.

"If they do, they're going to need to move out of that apartment of theirs," Lucius said. "It's barely big enough for the three of them now."

Narcissa looked up at him. "I recognise that tone of voice Lucius Malfoy; what are you thinking?"

"I was thinking, they need more room and we have too much."

Narcissa smiled sadly. "You think they would want to move in? Despite everything? Hermione doesn't exactly have the best memories of this house and as much as I hate to admit it, neither does Draco."

"I know," Lucius agreed. "But we could redecorate. They could have the West Wing entirely to themselves; I think that might make it easier, especially for Draco, since it's been unused for a long time so he doesn't have any memories connected to it."

Narcissa studied him, rocking Scorpius as he began to fuss. "You've thought of this for a while, haven't you?"

Lucius smiled. "Guilty, I'm afraid. I just... I miss having Draco here. And it's his right as heir to live here, and with the boy... he's a Malfoy; he should grow up in the house that will one day be his."

"I hope they'll agree then," Narcissa said. "It would be nice to have them here every night, and not just once in a while like now. We'd get to spend more time with Scorpius too. I would like that very much."

"Me too," Lucius admitted. "We should bring it up over breakfast tomorrow, no need to waste more time."

"Why wait until tomorrow morning then?" Narcissa asked.

Lucius frowned. "What do you mean? They're out tonight."

Narcissa laughed. "I would be very surprised if they stay out much longer. They're new parents and it's the first time they've been away from Scorpius for an extended amount of time."

"Well-"

"Hey, what are you still doing up little guy?" Draco asked as he joined his parents and son in the conservatory.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow at Lucius, smiling amusedly as she handed the baby over to her son; the overjoyed smile on both of their faces when they saw each other warming her heart.

"You're home early," Lucius said. "It's barely nine."

"Yeah, well," Draco hedged, cuddling Scorpius to his chest.

Hermione laughed as she joined them, having heard Lucius' question. "Honestly, we spent most of dinner talking about the baby than anything else. We would've been back sooner if not for the fact that we had a bet with each other on who would give in and want to return first."

Narcissa laughed, Lucius smiled and Draco grumbled under his breath.

"Draco lost," Hermione stage whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder to look down at their son, smiling as he yawned.

"Time for bed, I think," Draco said. "Goodnight, mom, dad."

"Good night, sweethearts," Narcissa returned.

"Thank you both for watching him," Hermione said, smiling before she left with Draco, to put their son in the crib his father once slept in, just as his father had done before him.

In the conservatory, Narcissa took his hand as he watched them go. Lucius smiled; happy and content.

**The End**


End file.
